Whether our theological knowledge is great or small, we all need to ask a vital question: What will we do with the knowledge of God that we have?

Will it lead us to an ever-growing desire to know and love the Lord? Will it practically affect the way we think and live? Will we have the courage to hold on to the truth even when it isn’t popular? And how will we express our beliefs? With humility–or with pride?

Truth matters…but so does our attitude. This is what I mean by humble orthodoxy: we must care deeply about truth, and we must also defend and share this truth with compassion and humility.

God has given the saving message of the gospel to his people through his Word, and we must be willing to fight for its integrity and faithful transmission. We are to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). In other words, we need to care about orthodoxy and right thinking about who God is and how he saves through Jesus Christ. Orthodoxy matters.

But at the same time, God’s Word commands us, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Jesus even told us, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44). And 1 Peter 5:5 says “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'” In other words, genuine love and humility of heart before God and other people are essential. Humility matters.